标题：Are there Catholic Antecedents of the Declaration of Independence? A Conversation between Archbishop John Ireland, Orestes Brownson and the Twentieth Century
摘要：In the 19th century, Ireland and Brownson are the two best
Catholic thinkers from whom one can learn something about whether the
principles of the Declaration reflect the teachings of pre-modern
Catholic political theologians or the atheistic teachings of modern
political philosophers. They disagree, and their disagreement is both
thought provoking and instructive. 20th-century Catholic thinkers follow
Ireland¡¯s understanding that the Declaration reflects teachings of
Catholic thinkers, though there are important differences between more
moderate and more extreme versions of this argument. The 20th century
culminates in the teaching of the philosopher Pope John Paul II, who
finds in the Declaration¡¯s principles a meaning compatible with Catholic
moral teachings. However, no one in the 20th century addresses
Brownson¡¯s substantial argument to the contrary.
